Rail joint



May 29, 1923. 1,457,085

' w. H. MONEIL RAIL JOINT Filed Sept. 27 1922 William HM' Neil ('lltmmug Patented May 29, 1923,

WILLIAM H. MCNEIL, 0F HARDY, MISSISSIPPI.

RAIL JOINT.

Application filed September 27, 1922. Serial No. 590,931.

To aZZ whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. MoNnIL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hardy, in the county of Grenada and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Rail Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My said invention relates to a rail joint .of improved type and it is an object of the invention to provide a rail joint which shall be firm and substantial and the parts of which shall not be liable to separate accidentally.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a perspective of the ends of two rails formed according to my invention, and

Figure 2 a vertical section of a rail joint.

In the drawings reference characters 10 and 11 indicate a pair of rails formed atthe ends for connection according to my invention. Rail 10 is cut away at one side to remove about one-half of the rail and the webis also cut through at 12 to the opposite side. Rail 11 is similarly cut away but a tongue 13 is left on the second rail, this tongue be-.

ing adapted to enter and fill the slot 12. Preferably the adjacent sides of the rails are formed somewhat hollow as clearly shown at 14: so that their upper and lower edges may meet before the inner faces come in contact with each other. Transverse holes are formed at 15 in each of the rail sections and bolts 16 are passed through the holes. These bolts are provided with nuts 17 and it will be seen that as the nuts are turned to position the rails may be sprung to a certain extent in drawing them together, thereby giving them a tendency to spring apart and thus effectively locking the nuts in place on the bolts.

It will be seen that by the use of my invention, an effective rail joint is formed in which one rail cannot rise above the other due to the engagement of the tongue 13 with the groove 12. The end of rail 11 abuts directly against the face 18 of the other rail and the end of the rail 10 abuts in similar manner against the separated vertical faces at 19 and 20 on the rail 11. The bolts hold the sections in proper relation and are themselves locked against withdrawal as above explained. The cutaway portions at 14 prevent cutting of the bolts due to vibration of the rails, and any weight onthe rails, or vibration tending to spread them will act to hold the nuts tight on the bolts. Any slight expansion or stretch of the bolts will be taken up by the resiliency of therails.

My invention is not limited to surface track railings, but may be used on overhead rails or the like and also on girders or other structure where a secure joint is desirable. Various minor changes may also be made'in my device without departing fromthe spirit of the invention, the true scope of which is indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A rail joint comprising a'pair of rails having cut-away portions providing-vertical side and end faces, the end and side faces on one rail abutting respectively against those on the other, the webof one rail being cut through to the opposite side and the web of the other rail being formed with a tongue to engage the roove thus formed and means for holding t e parts in engaging relation with each other, substantially asset forth.

2. A joint for structural iron or steel comprising a pair of bars having cut-away portions providing vertical side and end faces, the end and side faces on one bar abutting respectively against those on the other, the

adjacent side facesbeing hollowed out to provide for contact at the edges only one of said side faces having a longitudinal slot and the other having a tongue for engagement in the slot and means positioned above the tongue and slot for drawing said faces together against the resilient action of the bars, substantially as set forth.

3. A joint for structural iron or steel, comprising a pair of bars having cut away corners providing vertical end and side faces, the side faces being hollowed out and one Of sa d d $1. having a horizontally extending slot, bolts extending transversely of this 23rd day of September, A. D. nineteen the bars and positioned between the said slot hundred and twenty-two. and the tops of the bars, and nuts on said bolts said nuts being locked by the resiliency WILLIAM MCNEIL' 5 of the bars, substantially as set forth. Witnesses:

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set GEO. B. FRAZER,

my hand and seal at Memphis, Tennessee, JOHN W. FARLEY. 

